"Femtosecond UV Excitation in Imidazolium-Based Ionic Liquids" N. Chandrasekhar, O. Schalk, A.-N. Unterreiner
J. Phys. Chem. B, 112, 15718 (2008).
Abstract: Femtosecond pump-probe absorption spectroscopy was employed to investigate ultrafast dynamics in various
room temperature ionic liquids (RTILs) based on imidazolium cations, i.e., 1,3-dimethylimidazolium iodide
([DMIM]I), 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium iodide ([BMIM]I), 1-hexyl-3-methylimidazolium iodide ([HMIM]I),
1-hexyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride ([HMIM]Cl), and 1-methyl-3-octylimidazolium chloride ([MOIM]Cl).
Immediately after photoexcitation, an induced absorption was observed at various probe wavelengths
(555-1556 nm). Afterward, the decay of the induced absorption was found to be independent of the alkyl
chain length and viscosity of the ionic liquids. Two alternative mechanisms were proposed to explain the
dynamics. In a first scenario excess electrons are generated through one-photon photodetachment of halides
analogous to aqueous halide photodetachment. The dynamics in this case were analyzed with the help of a
competing kinetic model proposed for geminate recombination in aqueous chloride photodetachment.
Alternatively, imidazolium cations may be subject to photoionization. The transient NIR absorption can then
be assigned to imidazolium dimer radical cations and/or excess electrons which may be formed upon association
of imidazolium radicals with their parent cations. Both scenarios suggest that a thorough explanation of the
ultrafast dynamics probably requires the implication of cooperative effects in the ionic liquids upon
photoexcitation.
This publication has not been written at BMO
BMO authors (in alphabetic order): Oliver Schalk
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